Sleeping-car



(No Mogel.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.'

' Mey (No Model.) 2 sheets-sheer 2. W. C. WAITE.

f/Vz'nesses Invii??? n @uur QCM 'VZZ'z'S az'e hzs orney UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

IVILLIS C. IVAITE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SLEEPING-CAR.

SECIFCATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,258, dated May 20, 1890.

Application filed October 3l., 1888. Serial No. 289,684. (No model.)

To all whoml it may concern.:

Be it known that LIVILLIS O. IVAITE,aciti zen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleeping Cars, of which the following is a full specification.

My invention consists of certain improvements, the details of which are fully hereinafter described, whereby spaces between the sections of sleeping-cars are utilized by night as dressing-colnpartments, intended more especially for occupants of the upper berths, being so constructed as to afford easy access to the upper berths from the end of the same. Moreover, in the day-time the said compartments are easily converted into seats, affording space also for storing away bed-linen, the., and providing a convenient receptacle for light han d-luggage.

In a sleeping-car as ordinarily constructed the occupant of the upper berth experiences great inconvenience by reason of thefact that 11e is ordinarily obliged to dress and undress in the confined space of the berth itself, whereas the occupant of the lower berth may rest his feet upon the iioor of the car. For this reason the dressing-compartments,which are formed between the backs of the seats in my improved car, are inten ded mainly for the occupants of the upper berth.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a sleepingcar containing my improvements, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the interior of the same.

A is the upperberth, hinged to the wall of the car in the usual manner and adapted to be lowered at night into a horizontal position and in the day-time to be turned up into a suitable recess formed between the partingstrips A.

G is a hollow box introduced between the backs of the seats forming the sections. This box is used as a receptacle for bed-linen and other articles, access to the interior is gained through an opening in the top of the same closed ordinarily by the cushion C', which serves also as a seat.

C is a cushion provided with lugs which iit into recesses F', and forms in the day-time the back of the seat C', being held atthebottom in the recesses F and resting against the projections R, fixed in the back of the ordinary car-seat. The space between the wall of the car and the back of the cushion C is utilized for hand-sateliels and other like luggage. Vhen it is desired to convert the space between the seats into a dressing-compartment, the back cushion O is withdrawn from the recesses F and the lugs in the same introduced into thev recesses F in the wall of the car, while the said cushion is supported in its horizontal position by the projections R.

The lower berth is made up in the usual manner by bridging over the space between the seats with the back cushion of the saine, or otherwise, and the upper berth is lowered in place. The berths are curtained off from the main aisle in the usual manner by draperies from the rod N, and the dressing-compartments formed on the box Gbetween the seats are curtained off in the same way.

The occupant of the upper berth while dressing or undressing stands upon the cush ion C', while the cushion` C serves as a convenient seat, and also as a step in gainingaccess to the upper berth, entrance to which is effected from the end.

The ordinary arrangement of spring-fusee near the roof of the car and chains or cords passing over the same and connected to the sides of the upper berth near the front,whereby it is supported, is impracticable by reason. of their position in a car fitted with dressingcompartments, as described, since access to the berth being gained "from the end the usual supporting cords or chains would form an obstruction to the same. I therefore preferably employ solne such arrangement as that shown in the drawings, which consists of a strong spring coiled within the barrel B, bearing upward against the link l), pivoted at one end within the barrel andat the other to the link h', which is in turn pivotally attached to the end of the berth A sufiiciently near the Wall of the car to afford ample space for the occupant to enter. 'The arrangement of the links and spring is such that the weight of the berth A is perfectly counterbalanced while being raised and lowered; or, if desired, I may use instead the ordinary spring-fusee and chain, modifying the position of the same, so as not to obstruct the end IOO of the berth, The upper berth is preferably supported in its horizontal position by the rod or bar I-I, which is preferably pivoted Within the back of the seat forming the lower berth in such a manner as to be concealed therein during the day, as shown in Fig. l,in Which is represented on one side the berths and dressing-compartments of one section as arranged for night use and on the other side the day arrangement of the same. Communication between the lower berths and the dressing-compartments is cut off in any desired manner, either by a partingboard or by a curtain hanging from the end of the upper berth, While the upper berth is shut off from the dressing-compartment by a curtain suspended from the rod L.

I preferably arrange the dressing-compartments as shown in Fig. 2, in which I have numbered both the compartments and the sections consecutively, beginning at one end of the car. Thus in a car having six sections on each side only three dressing-compartments are necessary, since compartment No. l serves for the upper-berth occupants of both sections Nos. l and 2, and compartment No. 2 is used by occupants of sections Nos. 3 and 4, 85C. l

In Fig. 2 sections Nos. l and 2 and dressingcompartment No. l are represented as arranged for night use, While sections Nos. 3 and 4 and compartment No.2 (the latter converted into a seat) are arranged for day service.

I clairnl l. In a sleeping-car, a combined seat and dressing-compartment, consisting of a box introduced between the backs of the seats forming the sections and provided with a seat C, in combination with an adjustable piece C, forming either a separate seat and step or a back to the seat C', substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a sleeping-car, the combination, with the upper berth,of a combined seat and step C and a box introduced between the backs of the seats forming each alternate pair of sections, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

VILLIS C. \VAITE.

Witnesses:

D. K. STEVENS, WM. B. I-l'. DoWsE. 

